It was said that when Hārūn al-Rashīd heard one of Manṣūr’s sermons he asked him, “From where did you learn this?”

Manṣūr replied, “In a dream the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, spat into my mouth and said, ‘O Manṣūr, speak!’ (1)

Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Sarrāj reported: Aḥmad ibn Mūsā al-Anṣārī narrated to us that Manṣūr ibn ʿAmmār said:

“I set out for the ḥajj and spent a night in Kūfah. I went out in the dark and suddenly heard someone crying out, ‘My God, by Your might! I never meant, by my sin, to oppose You. I disobeyed You, yet I am not unaware of Your punishment. My wretchedness aided me in the offence, and Your concealment emboldened me. Now—who will rescue me?’ I thereupon recited the verse: ‘O you who believe! Shield yourselves and your families from a Fire …’ (al-Taḥrīm 66:6).

“I then heard a heavy thud. The next morning I passed by the same spot and found a funeral procession. An old woman was saying, ‘Last night a man went by, recited a verse, his gall-bladder burst, and he fell down dead.’ (2)

Sulaym ibn Manṣūr said: Bishr al-Marīsī (3) wrote to my father asking, ‘Inform me about the Qur’an.’

My father wrote back, ‘May Allah grant well-being to us and to you. In our view, debating about the Qur’an is an innovation shared by both the questioner and the respondent: the questioner ventures into what is not his domain, and the respondent takes upon himself what is not required of him. I recognise no creator but Allah, and everything beneath Him is created. The Qur’an is the speech of Allah. Therefore restrain yourself—and those who differ with you about it—to the names by which Allah Himself has named it, and do not call the Qur’an by any name of your own, lest you become one of the misguided.’ (4)

Al-Kawkabī said: Ḥarīz ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Duʾād narrated to us; Salmawayh ibn ʿĀṣim narrated to me, saying, ‘Bishr wrote to Manṣūr ibn ʿAmmār asking him about the Almighty’s words: “…’